Read: Exodus 20:8-11
Should Christians observe the Sabbath principle of resting one day in seven? This is one of the most frequently debated questions in Christianity. Should we as Christians observe the Sabbath principle and keep our Sonday’s set apart to worship God? Or is the Sabbath principle simply part of the Mosaic law that we can disregard as part of the Old Covenant?
We find part of our answer to this question here in the Ten Commandments. Remember that Israel is camped at the bottom of Mount Sinai where God is meeting with the people and giving them His law. God speaks directly to the all of the people to give them the Ten Commandments. After God has spoken, the people tremble with fear and plead with Moses that he would act as mediator for them and that God would no longer speak to them directly. (vs 18-19) Imagine the scene - hundreds of thousands of people gathered around the mountain, trembling in fear as the God of the universe speaks directly to them.
It is here, in these direct words from God to the people of Israel, that we find the fourth commandment. The people are to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. They are not to spend their time on the Sabbath working or doing their ordinary daily duties. Instead they are to consecrate the day to God and spend time in worship of Him. It is to be set apart for God, different from the other days. This
Notice in verse 11 when God commands the people to keep the Sabbath He gives them a reason. His reason is not because it is a part of the Law. His answer is not because it is to set apart His people of Israel from the nations around them. His answer is not even a moral one. He goes right back to creation as the reason and basis for the Sabbath principle. The people of Israel are to rest on the seventh day of the week because God rested on the seventh day after creation. God provided an example for all time by resting at the completion of creation.
Think about that for a moment. It would be easy for us as Christians to dismiss the need to observe the Sabbath principle by dismissing it just as part of the Mosaic law. But the Sabbath principle precedes the Mosaic law by thousands of years. It didn’t only apply to the people of Israel. It applied to all mankind since the very time of creation. This creation commandment must apply through all time to us as well as God’s people and as part of mankind.
We too should set aside a day for God to rest and to worship Him. I’m not advocating rules about how far we can walk, what weights we can lift and what we can and can’t do on Sonday. We should not simply return to legalism. Instead we should set aside our Sonday for God. Worshipping with God’s people on a Sonday morning or night is a vital part of this. Consider also how you spend the rest of your day. God doesn’t just command us to set aside an hour or two, he wants our whole day. Are you setting aside your Sonday for God?
Prayer:
Use the Bible passage from today and the reading notes to write down your prayer points before you pray.
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Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¥ Pray for the gathering of God’s people at your church tomorrow. Pray that God would be at work in the heart and mind of each person that they might be committed to gather with God’s people. Pray that the Word would be faithfully preached and that God would be working changing you and all who attend.
God set aside the seventh day of the week for rest and to be set aside to worship Him. After the resurrection we now worship God on Sunday, the Lord’s Day. Will you set aside your Sunday to worship God?
1. What would it look like for you and your family to set aside your Sonday entirely for God? Is something stopping you from doing this? What?
2. As a group how can you help one another to set aside your Sonday’s for God?
Intro: God commanded His people to take one day off a week to rest and worship Him.
Share: Why do you think God commanded people to take a day off each week? What do you think they might have done on their day off?
Read: Exodus 20:8-11 What does Sabbath mean? What would it look like to keep a day holy? Who can work on the Sabbath? (vs 10) What reason does God give for His people to keep the Sabbath? What day should we rest and worship God? What could we do to keep that day holy?
Pray Together: Pray that God would help us to rest and to worship Him on Sunday.
Read: Exodus 20:8-11 What does Sabbath mean? What would it look like to keep a day holy? Who can work on the Sabbath? (vs 10) What reason does God give for His people to keep the Sabbath? What day should we rest and worship God? What could we do to keep that day holy?
Pray Together: Pray that God would help us to rest and to worship Him on Sunday.
Intro: God commanded His people to take one day off a week to rest and worship Him.
Share: Why do you think God commanded people to take a day off each week? What do you think they might have done on their day off?
Read: Exodus 20:8-11 What does Sabbath mean? What would it look like to keep a day holy? Who can work on the Sabbath? (vs 10) What reason does God give for His people to keep the Sabbath? What day should we rest and worship God? What could we do to keep that day holy?
Pray Together: Pray that God would help us to rest and to worship Him on Sunday.
Read: Exodus 20:8-11 What does Sabbath mean? What would it look like to keep a day holy? Who can work on the Sabbath? (vs 10) What reason does God give for His people to keep the Sabbath? What day should we rest and worship God? What could we do to keep that day holy?
Pray Together: Pray that God would help us to rest and to worship Him on Sunday.
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